The limits of color awareness during active, real-world vision

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Michael A CohenCaroline E Robertson

Abstract

Color ignites visual experience, imbuing the world with meaning, emotion, and richness. As soon as an observer opens their eyes, they have the immediate impression of a rich, colorful experience that encompasses their entire visual world. Here, we show that this impression is surprisingly inaccurate. We used head-mounted virtual reality (VR) to place observers in immersive, dynamic real-world environments, which they naturally explored via saccades and head turns. Meanwhile, we monitored their gaze with in-headset eye tracking and then systematically altered the visual environments such that only the parts of the scene they were looking at were presented in color and the rest of the scene (i.e., the visual periphery) was entirely desaturated. We found that observers were often completely unaware of these drastic alterations to their visual world. In the most extreme case, almost a third of observers failed to notice when less than 5% of the visual display was presented in color. This limitation on perceptual awareness could not be explained by retinal neuroanatomy or previous studies of peripheral visual processing using more traditional psychophysical approaches. In a second study, we measured color detection thresholds using ...Continue Reading

References

Feb 1, 1977·Journal of the Optical Society of America·J Gordon, I Abramov
Dec 1, 1987·Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics and Image Science·D Kersten
Feb 1, 1986·American Journal of Optometry and Physiological Optics·M A Johnson
Nov 1, 1983·Memory & Cognition·R Becklen, D Cervone
Jan 1, 1983·Vision Research·C NoorlanderB W Edens
Jan 1, 1994·Annual Review of Psychology·I Abramov, J Gordon
Mar 17, 1999·Nature·J K O'ReganJ J Clark
Feb 24, 2006·Nature Reviews. Neuroscience·Hidehiko Komatsu
Apr 6, 2006·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Fuhui LongDale Purves
Aug 21, 2007·Annual Review of Psychology·Wilson S Geisler
Mar 28, 2008·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·Ned Block
Jan 1, 1987·Applied Optics·G J Burton, I R Moorhead
Oct 5, 2010·Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics : the Journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)·Michael A WebsterKyle C McDermott
Mar 23, 2011·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·David Whitney, Dennis M Levi
Jul 9, 2011·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Hakwan Lau, David Rosenthal
Aug 3, 2011·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Michael A Cohen, Daniel C Dennett
Aug 16, 2011·Nature Neuroscience·Jeremy Freeman, Eero P Simoncelli
Apr 19, 2013·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Caroline E RobertsonChris I Baker
Sep 1, 2010·Cognitive Neuroscience·Victor A F Lamme
Nov 21, 2015·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Naotsugu TsuchiyaVictor A F Lamme
Apr 21, 2016·Nature Reviews. Neuroscience·Christof KochGiulio Tononi
Apr 24, 2016·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Michael A CohenNancy Kanwisher
Aug 24, 2016·I-Perception·Christopher W Tyler
May 24, 2017·Annual Review of Vision Science·Ruth Rosenholtz
Oct 6, 2017·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Melanie BolyGiulio Tononi
Feb 5, 2017·Neuroscience of Consciousness·Andrew M HaunNaotsugu Tsuchiya
Jun 10, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Michael A CohenCaroline E Robertson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jun 10, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Michael A CohenCaroline E Robertson
Oct 10, 2020·Attention, Perception & Psychophysics·Alexander Maier, Naotsugu Tsuchiya
Jan 23, 2021·PloS One·Maddex FarshchiTadamasa Sawada
Feb 2, 2021·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience·Rony HirschhornLiad Mudrik
Jun 9, 2021·Current Biology : CB·William S Tuten, Wolf M Harmening
Jun 5, 2021·Neuroscience of Consciousness·Andrew M Haun
Jan 27, 2022·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·David H Foster, Adam Reeves

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Software Mentioned

Pupil Labs ’ Capture
Unity

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, Image Science, and Vision
Kinjiro Amano, David H Foster
Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, Image Science, and Vision
Kinjiro AmanoJohn P Oakley
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved